Mott the Hoople were an English rock band formed in Herefordshire. Originally named the Doc Thomas Group, the band changed their name after signing with Island Records in 1969. The band released albums at the beginning of the 1970s but failed to find any success. On the verge of breaking up, the band were encouraged by David Bowie to stay together. Bowie wrote their glam-style signature song "All the Young Dudes" for them, which became their first hit in 1972. Bowie subsequently produced their album of the same name, which added to their success.
Michael Ronson was an English musician, songwriter, arranger, and producer. He achieved critical and commercial success working with David Bowie as the guitarist of the Spiders from Mars. He was a session musician who recorded five studio albums with Bowie followed by four with Ian Hunter, and also worked as a sideman in touring bands with Van Morrison and Bob Dylan. A classically trained musician, Ronson was known for his melodic approach to guitar playing.
All the Young Dudes is the fifth studio album by the English rock band Mott the Hoople, released in 1972. It was their initial album for the CBS Records label, after three years with Island Records in the UK and Atlantic Records in the United States and Canada.
"The Width of a Circle" is a song written by the English musician David Bowie in 1969 for his 1970 album, The Man Who Sold the World. Recorded during the spring of 1970, it was released later that year in the United States and in April 1971 in the UK. The opening track on the album, it features hard rock and heavy metal overtones. Bowie had performed a shorter version of the song in concerts for several months before recording it.
"Black Country Rock" is a song by the English musician David Bowie, released on his 1970 album The Man Who Sold the World. The song was recorded in May 1970, with sessions taking place at Trident and Advision Studios in London. The lineup featured Bowie on lead vocals, guitarist Mick Ronson, bassist/producer Tony Visconti, drummer Mick Woodmansey and Ralph Mace on Moog synthesiser. The track was mostly composed by Ronson and Visconti, who developed it using a basic song sketch from Bowie. Labelled under the working title "Black Country Rock", Bowie used the title to write the lyrics towards the end of the sessions, resulting in a repeated two-line verse and chorus. A blues rock and hard rock number, Bowie imitates T. Rex's Marc Bolan in his vocal performance.
"The Supermen" is a song written by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie in 1970 and released as the closing track on the album The Man Who Sold the World. It was one of a number of pieces on the album inspired by the works of literary figures such as Friedrich Nietzsche and H. P. Lovecraft.
Urgent was an American melodic rock band from New York City featuring former and future members of Sterling, Vendetta and Diving For Pearls. Urgent founding member Donnie Kehr and guitarist Yul Vazquez have both gone on to highly successful stage, movie and television acting careers.
Play Don't Worry is the second album by English guitarist and singer Mick Ronson, recorded in 1974 and released in January 1975 after his several projects in the early seventies together with David Bowie, Lou Reed and the band the Spiders from Mars. It contains mainly covers arranged by Ronson for his own sound, covering everyone from Pure Prairie League, The Velvet Underground and Little Richard. The backing track to "White Light/White Heat" was salvaged from Bowie's Pin Ups sessions. The title track was co-written by Bob Sargeant, later producer to The Beat amongst others, who released an album First Starring Role in April 1974 which included Ronson on recorder and producing four tracks.
Heaven and Hull is the final solo album by Mick Ronson, released in 1994, following Ronson's death the previous year. It featured collaborations by longtime friends of Ronson including David Bowie, Joe Elliott, and Ian Hunter. Other artists included Martin Chambers and Chrissie Hynde, Phil Collen and John Mellencamp. The "All the Young Dudes" track on Heaven and Hull is from the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, where Ronson was suffering from cancer. It was his last concert.
Bowie at the Beeb is a compilation album by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie, first released in 2000. Originally, it came in a three-CD set, the third, bonus CD being a live recording made on 27 June 2000 at the Portland BBC Radio Theatre. Later editions contain only the first two CDs. The bonus disc was also released as a separate single CD entitled BBC Radio Theatre, London, June 27, 2000.
Ian Hunter Patterson is an English singer, songwriter and musician. He is best known as the lead vocalist of the rock band Mott the Hoople, from its inception in 1969 to its dissolution in 1974, and at the time of its 2009, 2013, and 2019 reunions. Hunter was a musician and songwriter before joining Mott the Hoople, and continued in this vein after he left the band. He embarked on a solo career despite ill health and disillusionment with commercial success, and often worked in collaboration with Mick Ronson, David Bowie's sideman and arranger from The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars period.
Ian Hunter is the first solo studio album by English singer-songwriter Ian Hunter, recorded following his departure from Mott the Hoople. Released in 1975, it is also the first of many solo albums on which he collaborated with Mick Ronson. The bassist, Geoff Appleby, was from Hull like Mick Ronson and they had played together in The Rats in the late 1960s. The track "It Ain't Easy When You Fall/Shades Off" contains the only recorded example of Hunter reading his own poetry.
All American Alien Boy is the second studio album by Ian Hunter. Because of management issues, Mick Ronson did not appear on this album; instead, Hunter brought in keyboardist Chris Stainton to act as a balancing force in the studio. Unlike his previous album, the album didn't feature any of his trademark rockers and he opted for a more jazzy direction including bassist Jaco Pastorius. The album title is a play on Rick Derringer's 1973 album All American Boy. Queen appear as backing vocalists on the track "You Nearly Did Me In".
You're Never Alone with a Schizophrenic is the fourth solo studio album by Ian Hunter. The album featured members of Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band as the backing band. AllMusic considers the album to be Hunter's best.
Short Back 'n' Sides is the fifth studio album by Ian Hunter. He collaborated with Mick Jones, fellow Clash member Topper Headon, as well as Todd Rundgren and Ellen Foley.
All of the Good Ones Are Taken is the sixth solo studio album of Ian Hunter. The album contains a mix of several styles. Longtime collaborator Mick Ronson was mostly absent, because he was seriously considering quitting the music business.
The Artful Dodger is the ninth solo album of Ian Hunter. Impressed with the production on Dirty Laundry, Hunter collaborated again with Björn Nessjö on this album.
The album was initially released in Norway only, because Hunter felt that he needed management before he could release it in the UK and the US.
The track "Michael Picasso" was a tribute to the late Mick Ronson. The temp is different from the version performed at the Mick Ronson Memorial Concert in 1994
Rant is the 10th solo studio album by Ian Hunter and also his most political one in 25 years. Unlike his last three albums which were more collaborative, Hunter wrote all the tracks by himself.
Junior's Eyes was a British group led by guitarist Mick Wayne, which recorded one album and is notable for acting as David Bowie's backing band during 1969.
Drive On is the debut album by British band Mott. It was released on the CBS label in the UK and the Columbia label in the United States. A remastered version was released in CD format in 2006 by Wounded Bird Records in US. It's the first album without former lead singer Ian Hunter, and includes two new members: Ray Major and Nigel Benjamin.
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